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A year after her sexual assault at St. Paul's School made headlines, Chessy Prout says she's tired of hiding. "I want everyone to know that I am not afraid or ashamed anymore, and I never should have been,'' she tells Today of the May 2014 assault. Prout was just 15 when she was sexually assaulted at the prestigious New Hampshire school while on a date with senior Owen Labrie, who is out on bail while appealing his conviction of misdemeanor sexual assault. Prout says she was "disgusted" that Labrie—acquitted of felony sexual assault charges—convinced a jury that he didn't knowingly rape her "because he definitely did do it knowingly," but says she hopes he learns from his crime. "Because if he doesn't learn, he will do it to another young woman."

Prout—who also described having panic attacks and hiding in her closet, per the AP—has teamed up with nonprofit Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment and says she wants to encourage "other people to feel empowered and just strong enough to be able to say, 'I have the right to my body. I have the right to say no.''' In an effort to bring about change, she's also filed a civil case against St. Paul's, which accused her of attacking the school "from behind a cloak of anonymity" and filed a request that her identity be released. The school denies "a culture or tradition of sexual assault" existed there but says Prout's case has already "brought about positive changes," including new faculty training and updates to security systems. (Read Prout's testimony here.)

emergency contraception at a school medical office? Isn't it a catholic prep school--St Pauls?

Bo Honk

Aug 30, 2016 8:22 PM CDT

He lied to cops about having intercourse with her. Duh. He knew she was 15 and didn't want to go to jail for statutory rape. But he knew her age and went there, so All he should have been charged with.

Bo Honk

Aug 30, 2016 4:40 PM CDT

"[Chessy Prout] had groomed her genital area and told a close friend that she planned to let Labrie penetrate her digitally, if he wanted, and perform oral sex on him." - Witness at the trial "Francesca Prout eventually said yes [to meeting him], but asked Labrie to keep their meeting secret...she wanted to keep it secret from her sister, whom Labrie had briefly dated" - Testimony at the trial "Chessy rais[ed] her arms to help Labrie...remove her shirt, quietly following him onto the blanket he had brought and just laid out, then lifting her hips as Labrie slid off her pants." - Testimony at the trial "A school nurse who gave the girl emergency contraceptive two days after the encounter said the girl was rushed and appeared "anxious" and "concerned" at the time, but that the girl said the sex had been consensual" - Testimony at the trial She was a wallflower living in her more popular older sister's shadow, the sister who had already checked off banging Mr. Popular several times. Now she's teaching them ALL a lesson.